Called to Follow

 “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

Isaiah heard God’s voice,

Without hesitation, he boldly shouted, “Here am I. Send me!”

Isaiah was willing to go wherever God would have him go, to follow wherever the directions and instructions of God would take him but only after he was assured that his past and his present conditions were not a matter for qualification.

Isaiah had felt he was neither worthy nor qualified to be chosen; he did not realize that with God, to follow is not a matter of qualification but of obedience.

Are you excusing yourself from following Jesus, because of your past, or even, your present? Have you disqualified yourself?

Remember whom Jesus came for and whom Jesus called.

In Luke chapter five, we see Simon Peter, whom I imagine, was a rowdy, aggressive, fouled-mouth fisherman, though weary from an all-night futile fishing expedition, still obeyed the call of Jesus to “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Peter’s obedience resulted in an unimaginable net-breaking catch.

And just like Isaiah, who, feeling utterly unworthy in that smoke-filled temple, cried out in awe and reverential fear before the Lord, Peter, falling before the Lord, at Jesus’ knees in awe and reverence, cried out, as he too experienced that same sense of unworthiness in the presence of the Lord. But Jesus assured him, called him, and he left everything to follow.

Even in our doubting, Jesus does not discount us or throw us away as worthless. He knows what we are likely to endure when we agree to serve and follow Him, so every now and again, He gently assures us of the purpose of His call.

In Matthew’s Gospel, we read about two blind men who followed Jesus. They could not see Him, but didn’t they follow Jesus anyway? Despite the obstacles, the crushing crowds, the noise and more amazingly their obvious physical limitations?

And what about Matthew, the tax collector? He immediately rose from where he sat and upon Jesus’ command, he too left all that he was doing, to follow Jesus.

The truth is, there is no difference between those He came to save and those He calls. We are all suffering from the same condition…sin, but that does not mean that we cannot be called to follow; we simply have to be obedient to His call.

Know that the call is for now, not the future. Now, and no looking back. What you leave behind cannot be compared to what you gain.

Remember, it’s not about us, but the grace of God that is with us. So, when you hear His call, don’t be afraid to come as you are, drop everything and follow Him, for to follow is a matter of obedience, not qualification.

If I may borrow the words of Apostle Paul…

By the grace of God we are what we are, and His grace to us will not be without effect; when we answer, He, through the power of His Holy Spirit will do the rest. 

Amen.

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson "Called to Follow"